Jordan adopts Utah job pairing

Utah's integrated model of pairing job training with welfare assistance is being replicated in Jordan as part of that country's efforts to reduce poverty.

The effort is a direct result of representatives from King Abdullah II's government, including a member of his cabinet, visiting Utah in July.

"They were astounded by what they saw," said Darin Brush, a deputy director of the state Department of Workforce Services.

Ironically, the stop in Utah was an afterthought, Brush said, suggested by a consultant traveling with the group. They had visited Minnesota but hadn't planned on coming here, he said.

The visit resulted in a return invitation to the state agency to send four employees to Jordan to set up the country's first employment exchange system that will pair job seekers with employers looking for workers.

Brush and Dave Ostrom, a regional business services manager for the department, spent the first half of an eight-week technical assistance program in Jordan, crafting a strategic plan for the center and helping get employers on board. Later, the Jordanian government plans to integrate the welfare segment into the program after the employment sector is firmly established.

All four state employees used personal leave for the project and were funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which pumps foreign aid into technical assistance programs for other countries.

Estimates from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan say anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of Jordanians live below the poverty threshold in that country, which has struggled as a result of the Gulf War and its aftermath.

Two years ago, as just one segment of a sweeping reform effort aimed at everything from national economics to housing, King Abdullah II launched the Poverty Alleviation Initiative.

"The king had this vision to create a public employment center in Jordan in Amman," said Brush, noting that Jordanians traditionally rely on networking, favoritism and nepotism to get jobs.

"There's a lot of dialogue about the corrupt nature of government jobs, and there is no public moderator for job exchange."

Brush, who delivered a report on the visit recently to the Legislature's Workforce Services and Economic Development interim committee, said participating in the effort was extremely rewarding.

Brush and Ostrom returned in mid-September, while deputy director James Whitaker and another employee remain in Jordan.